CS207349B2 - Cover for foods particularly sausages and meat products and method of making the same - Google Patents

Abstract

1513592 End closure for food casings NATURIN-WERK BECKER & CO 17 May 1976 [16 May 1975] 20208/76 Heading A2B The compacted end portion of a tubular food casing is tied by a knotted filamentary member incorporating a suspension loop, the knot lying in a recess or groove in the end portion which extends wholly or partly around the periphery thereof. The end portion may be pleated. The recess may be formed by softening the end portion before, after or during the formation of the knot. Such softening may be achieved by a heating medium, e.g. air, flame, water vapour. by ultrasonics or infrared radiation, by a solvent or swelling agent, by pre-heating the filament or by heated co-operating indenting members, and the formation of the recess may then be assisted by tightening the knot or by applying pressure to the formed knot. The specification discloses suitable conditions and apparatus for forming the recess, particularly (i) an arrangement of pipes to direct a hot air blast between the pleats of the end portion, (ii) a device comprising co-operating shaped pressing members, and (iii) an ultrasonic ram for pressing a knot into the end portion. Suitable materials for the casing and filamentary member are specified.

Description

The present invention relates to a package for foodstuffs, in particular sausages and meat products, and to a process for its production. This package consists of tubular film sections of thermoplastic plastics or thermoplastic plastics-like materials and a ligation with a knot and a hanging loop at one end together.

The term "ligation" means, in the case of tubular films filled with wrapped goods, for example sausages, a closure formed at both ends of the tubular film by means of ligation yarn of natural material, such as hemp rope or synthetic fibers. In order to be able to hang the filled tubular foil, for example a sausage, it is provided at one end with a sling loop which can be formed, for example, from both ends of the bifurcation knot by knotting it about 10 to 15 cm above the ligation. Hose films, especially artificial casings for wrapping large-diameter sausages for heating and cooking, are now the largest. parts are sold in the form of longitudinally cut pieces, which have been mechanically equipped with ligation · with hanging loop. In this case, the end to be ligated is joined in a suitable manner, for example by shirring, whereupon the ligature with the hanging loop is placed around the folded end. The portion of the folded end protruding through the ligation forms a point. The second ligation is done by the butcher after the sausages are filled; this ligation can also be replaced by a metal clamp.

Ligation (hereinafter also refers to the first ligation with · hanging loop) · not only to close the sausage wrapper, but also to carry a filled sausage when heated in a cooking cabinet and later stored in a cold store. Thus, for example, in the case of heating sausages, by way of definition, the garment knots made in accordance with the invention with a hinge loop of the sausage wrapper above the garment knot.

For food of all kinds wrapped in a tubular film and hanging on a hanging loop, processed and / or stored, especially in sausages, there is a problem that the garter knot moves under the weight of the packaged goods and even slips under the circumstances at the tip of the film. Due to its own weight, the filled tubular film is pulled completely out of the ligation and falls off. Only the ligature loop with the ligature knot remains on the hanging hooks.

This problem is greater the greater the weight of the filled tubular film, which is dependent on length and diameter. Particularly with sausages, there is a trend today that these still have to be extended to reduce the proportion, based on the whole of the sachets, of the end pieces not marketed as cuts. So there are nothing special sausages with a diameter of 130 mm and a length of 80 cm, with a filling weight of 8.5 kg; however, 105 cm long sausage casings having a fill weight of about 8.5 kg have also been required. The risk that the ligation slips out over the tip ends and the filled tubular film falls to the ground is also naturally influenced by the tubular film material. If this is particularly smooth and straight and shows no roughening, then it is much easier to slip under the binding than with a suitable rough material in which the ligation holds to some extent on the unevenness of the surface of the film material. Such smooth surfaces have, in particular, tubular films of thermoplastic synthetic materials such as polyamides, polyesters and polyvinylidene chloride, but also regenerated cellulose fiber reinforced and coated with thermoplastic synthetic materials, as well as softened regenerated cellulose used in large volumes for packaging meat and sausages.

The risk of slipping ligation is even greater in the wet or wet state, since the surface of the film material is then even smoother and slippery. It is in the production of meat and sausages that these are very often in a humid state. Thus, the sausages for cooking and heating are - often exposed - to the effect of hot water or steam.

In addition, there is a risk of slipping of the ligation with the sling loop, especially when the sausages are being filled. In this case, as is known, a longitudinally cut piece of tubular foil with. end closed already by the machine machine - by binding - with a hanging loop, gripped by a butcher, bumped - on the filling tube of the filler and manually held. Here the end must resist the filling pressure. by means of which it is filled with a sausage. In this case, the ligation is also often shifted, especially when the longitudinally cut pieces with ligation are soaked for a short time in warm water, whereby the surface becomes smooth.

The difficulty that could not have been eliminated until now consists mainly in the fact that, especially with large-diameter tubular films made of materials - with a very smooth surface such as -the thermoplastic synthetic materials, the ligation cannot be laid so tightly around the tip of the -hose-foil. - to - the knot does not move when filling or following processing such as cooking - or heating - to which the filled tubular film is subjected to a suspended state. -The strength with which the ligature can be tightened is limited by the tensile strength of the ligature yarn.

In principle, the described issues have been tried in principle in the following ways:

German Published Application No. 21 32 -456 discloses ligation with a suspension loop of polyamide wire for artificial casing, by means of which the shirred end of the artificial casing is to be clamped better than previously. This is because the ligature knot, which is positioned around the folded end, is formed as a retractable knot. This ligation and its manufacture is quite complicated since it consists of three knots. In addition, this ligation is made by hand. In the case of high-weight sausages, this does not result in ligation which is slip resistant. German Published Application No. 1811784 discloses a sausage hinge consisting of a ring with a handle that exhibits a conical reinforcement at the end. The hinge is made of one piece of plastic. When closing the filled sausage package, the hinge handle is inserted together with the tip into the clamp device. When pressing the clamp (metal clamp), the hinge ring is pressed firmly between the clamp and the pleated tip.

Although this hinge is very load-bearing, production is cost-intensive, since two shaped bodies are necessary, namely a hinge of plastic wire and a self-locking (metal clamp). German Offenlegungsschrift No. 15 '82 023 discloses a one-sided wrapped sausage wrapper in which the closure is formed by piercing a hole through which the rivet is guided in the compression end folded into longitudinal folds. The rivet simultaneously holds the suspension loop by penetrating the two holes through the loop consisting of a flat material. Also, this hinge is very expensive in terms of material and manufacturing costs. French Patent No. 15-887'2i7 proposes to prevent the ligature knot from slipping on sausage wrappers of sensitive material (collagen) by tightening the ligature knot more firmly.

In order to prevent damage to the sensitive packaging, the reinforcement strip is placed around the ligation site and the tie knot is tightly tightened around the reinforcement strip. This ligation is also costly in terms of production and material costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a slip-resistant ligation of a thermoplastic or tubular film of thermoplastic plastics similar to thermoplastic plastics for the packaging of foodstuffs, in particular sausages and meat products. production should not be laborious - and consequently - will be cost-effective and machine-friendly, i.e. it will be possible to produce on a modern serial ligation device.

The above-mentioned shortcomings - eliminate - packaging for - foodstuffs, - in particular sausages and - meat products, consisting of - tubular foil sections of thermoplastic plastics - or materials similar to thermoplastic plastics, and - of knot ligation - and a hanging loop on one - together In summary, according to the invention, the ligation together with the knot is embedded in a depression of the tubular film extending at least over a portion of the circumference of the together wrapped end of the tubular film.

The knot-like ligation is arranged in the wall recess of the tubular-yellow trough-shaped foil. The groove-shaped depression extends around the entire periphery of the wall together of the summed end.

The lining material has a tensile strength of at least 196.12 N.

Suitable materials for the tubular film to be ligated are primarily thermoplastic synthetic materials, for example polyamides, polyesters and polyvinylidene chloride blended polymers, but also regenerated cellulose tubular films, fiber-reinforced if they are provided with a thermoplastic coating of synthetic materials. and regenerated cellulose tubular films, when behaved, if softened with a plasticizer, similarly to a thermoplastic.

As lining material, natural fiber yarns which are spun and optionally twisted, for example hemp, flax or mixtures thereof, are also suitable as yarns or wires of synthetic material, for example, stretched polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamides and polyesters. Preferred ligation materials have a tensile strength of at least 196.12 N according to DIN 53 834.

The invention furthermore relates to a process for the production of packaging for foodstuffs, in particular sausages and meat products. Its essence is that the ligation site softens before, during or after the node is applied. This makes the film material so flexible that the lining yarn forms a strangulation or recess upon wrapping, and the lining knot is inserted into the recess, thereby preventing slipping off the corner of the film.

According to one preferred embodiment, the ligation site is softened by heating. The heating can be carried out in various ways, for example by warm air, hot gas flame combustion gases, or even by superheated steam, but for the purposes of the invention it is preferred to heat the hot air by blowing at a temperature of about 15 ° C to 250 ° C. Surprisingly, it is sufficient to heat the lining knot with the sling loop completely for a short time before or during the laying of the ligation, so that the ligation knot can withstand the most extreme loading and / or cooking and heating loads.

The ligation sites may also be heated by ultrasound or infrared radiation.

Finally, it is also possible to soften the ligated spot indirectly by the preheated ligature yarn.

If the ligation sites are heated only after the ligation has been carried out, the ligation knot is drawn further into the softened surface of the film material. In this case, it may be advantageous to push the additionally finished ligation yarn simultaneously with heating or even thereafter by applying pressure to the tip of the sausage wrapper, the latter immediately being reformed from a square cross section to an approximately rectangular cross section. This rectangular cross section preferably has a 1.05-1.2 fold circumference of the original square cross section.

Instead of heating, the site to be bonded can also be plasticized in another suitable manner, for example by treatment with solvents and / or swelling agents. Thus, for example, the film material can be softened with a suitable solvent, such as chloroform, before shirring, to the extent that it becomes strangled immediately after tightening the ligation yarn.

Further details are described in connection with the attached drawing. The ligatures of the present invention have the advantage that they can be produced on conventional modern ligature machines after suitable simple devices have been arranged therein, without compromising the conventional machine output of 26 to 30 pieces per minute and without requiring additional manual work. .

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the folded and folded end of the tubular film held by the pliers below the ligation site is heated with hot air, and then the knot is wrapped around the tip and tightened tightly, leaving the knot loop in a groove 0.3 to 0.5 mm deep from which it cannot slip out. This does not require any additional material load, whereas in the case of the ligatures produced in the prior art, a light metal clamp or eyelet had to be arranged in a separate working step in order to achieve a comparable slip resistance in the usual manner.

In particular, the improved effect of the food packaging, in particular the sausages and meat products with the ligation produced according to the invention, is that the ligation according to the invention prevents the ligation from being pushed across the tip of the sausage or other product when filling under filling pressure. to which such ligation is used. The shifting of the ligature over the tip of the sausage occurs especially when the large and heavy sausages are ligated. In fact, as soon as the ligation is pushed over the tip of the sausage, the closed end opens or the sausage falls to the ground, while the ligation with the hanging loop remains hanging on the hook. By the ligation of the invention, this danger has been eliminated even in large and very heavy sausages.

The invention will be explained by means of a drawing and a description of a method for producing sausage casings.

Giant. 1 shows a folded sausage casing which is held by the jaws and the tip of which is blown by means of two tubes, the upper and the lower tubes; FIG. 2 shows the same sausage casing provided with a garter knot with a hanging loop; removing the ligature knot lying in the groove.

As shown in FIG. 1, it is shown herein

The composite sausage casing 5, held by the jaws 1 and 2 of the ligature machine (not shown) and the tip 6, lies between the outlets of the lower tube 207349 ку 4 and the upper tube 3 through which the hot air blowing this tip 6 flows.

FIG. 2 shows the same sausage wrapper S, but in this case the wrapper 5 is provided with a ligature knot 7 with a hanging loop 8 wrapped around a corner 6.

Giant. 3 shows the sausage casing 5 after removing the ligature node 7 of the hanging loop 8, to show the formed trough 9.

Example 1

The serial machine for lining the sausage casings has been provided with a device for supplying heated air with two tubes, an upper tube 3 and a lower tube 4 having a diameter of about 5 millimeters, so that the tip 6 of the sausage casing 5 is shirred and held by the jaws 1 and 2 of the conveyor. softening arrange in place of ligation.

After, in the previous working cycle of the ligature machine, the gathered section of the sausage casing 5 was gripped and clamped by the jaws 1 and 2 and moved to the tubes 3 and to the air supply and exposed there for about 2 s of hot air at 150-100 ° C (= 1 machine cycle). In the following machine cycle, the heated tip 6 was further moved to the point of formation of the ligature node 7, where the loop 8 of the ligature node 7 with the hinged loop 8 was previously slid over the warm tip 6 and tightened.

Example 2

A conventional punching machine has been mounted with a pneumatic punching tool, the die and the plug of which can be heated to a temperature below the softening temperature of the thermoplastic material by the foil by means of an adjustable electric heating device. The work surfaces of the die and the plug were half-cylindrical, forming a working ring of 10 mm high and 6 mm in diameter, which tightly encircled the tip 6 of the sausage casing. The working surfaces were equipped with a collar of 0.5 mm height and 1.5 mm width and were coated with polytetrafluoroethylene. The entire tool was placed on the carriage parallel to the 5 mm clearance, so that it could center itself around the tip 6 of the sausage cover 5.

After the composite section of the sausage casing 5 was gripped and clamped by the jaws 1 and 2 in the previous measure, it was fed between the punches heated to 120 ° C. This was closed over the jaws 1 and 2 for about 1 second around the tip 6 and punched a continuous groove 9 about 0.5 mm deep and about 1.5 mm wide. Then the DC tool was opened again (= 1 cycle of machine). In the following measure, the tip 6 moved further to the location of the ligature node 7, where a pre-prepared loop of the ligature node 7 with the sling loop 8 was slid over the tip 6. The ligature node 7 then lay non-movably in the preformed groove 9.

Example 3

An ultrasonic machine was mounted on a conventional ligature machine so that the ligature nodes 7 formed by the machine could then be subjected to ultrasonic forming in the last working cycle. The ultrasonic transducer was provided with conventional pulse width and pulse width control devices, and pulse triggering was performed automatically by the work of the ligature machine while the device was simultaneously lowered by the mechanical drive means to the working position.

When, in the preceding work cycle, the ligature knot 7 was tightly tightened around the tip 6 of the sausage casing 5, it was fed into the ultrasonic apparatus and placed on the support. Then, the punched oscillator was lowered by a pneumatic cylinder and lowered simultaneously. The applied ultrasonic energy heats the tip 6 of the sausage casing 5 within 1 second to a sufficient degree of softening to allow the ligature knot 7 to be pressed into the tip 6 and the tip 6 flat-pressed to a thickness of less than 2 mm and a width of 9 to 11 mm .

Example 4

A conventional ligation machine for lining sausage casings has been provided with a device which allows a flat-laid tubular film to be wetted to a length of 1 cm with chloroform while being cut longitudinally at the lining site. The apparatus operates in the form of a stamping pad which is arranged in front of the embossing knife and is lowered with it.

After the infinite tubular film has been fed in the first working cycle, its part is now separated by a punching knife and at the same time a humidifier is pressed against the tubular film at a distance of 1 to 2 cm. For 6 G, i.e. 3 working cycles, the solvent has time to swell the film which has since been shirred and reaches the ligature device. The ligature node 7 is now applied and tightened as much as possible.

Ligation testing according to the invention approaching practice.

The ligation of the knot wrappers 5 produced according to Examples 1 to 3 was subjected to various stringent tests in the brewery to demonstrate the durability of the knot knots 7 according to the invention.

1. Sausage casings 5 with garter knots 7 with hanging loop 8, made according to examples 1 to 3, were filled with sausage part on the filling machine:

The butcher pulls the sausage casing 5 onto the stuffing tube so that it lies end-lined against the opening of the stuffing tube and is actuated by a knee lever by a pump that transports the sausage piece.

It handles the packing of the stuffing sausage 5 by hand

0'7 34 9 with the other hand holding the filling sausage. Here, the pressure in the sausage casing 5 is determined by the force with which the butcher retains the sausage casing 5 on the stuffing tube.

The ligature knots 7 fixed according to the invention did not move with such a strong pressure on the tip 6 of the sausage cover 5. For comparison, ligation of sausage casings according to German Patent No. 1 803 353 as well as ligation secured with a metal loop were tested. These also withstand the stuffing pressure. The knots secured by the eye slid so far on the tip of the obba so that they were against the eye. Unblocking knots made on the edges of the sausage wrap made of thermoplastic film material did not withstand this test by means of the crushing pressure.

2. Sausage casings 5 of different diameters and lengths, with ligation knots 7 produced according to Examples 1 to 3,. with the hanging loops 8 were filled with a sausage part, closed with a metal clamp and subjected to a professional, modern heating process. In this way, the sausage-free heating sausages on the hanging loop 8, independent of their length, were heated for as many minutes at 72-78 ° C in an atmosphere saturated with water vapor equal to their diameter in mm (normal rule for processing time).

The following table lists the ligatures tested and the dimensions of the sausages.

ligation wrapping material sausages dimensions weight kg mm X length cm

according to Example 1 polyamide 12 130 X 80 8.5 polyvinylidene chloride 90 X 50 polyester 1-15 X 50 3.6 cellulose regenerate 7'5 X 50 cellulose fiber casing with polyvinylidene chloride inner coating Cellulose fiber casing 90 X 50 uncoated - from polyvinylidene chloride 90 X 50 according to Example 2 polyamide 12 130- X 80 8.5 polyvinylidene chloride 90 X 50 2.3 cellulose regenerate 75 X - 50 according to Example 3 polyamide 12 90 X 50 2.2 + 5 ’ polyester 115 - X 50

For the sausage wrappers labeled by weight, 6 pieces were heated in the brewery as described above. The sausages marked with * were additionally loaded with a weight of 5 kg at their lower tip, so that the total weight of the sausage was greater than kg. All sausages tested in this way were able to withstand the test without noticeably moving the knot. For the second sausage wrapping materials, only the crushing test described above under the example was performed with a positive result.

Claims (9)

THE OBJECT OF THE INVENTION A package for foodstuffs, in particular sausages and meat products, comprising sections of tubular film of thermoplastic plastics or plastics similar to thermoplastic plastics, and ligation with a knot and a hanging loop at one end together, characterized in that the ligation together with the ligation a node (7) is disposed in a tubular film wall depression extending at least over a portion of the periphery of the folded end forming the tubular film tip (6). Packaging according to claim 1, characterized in that the ligation together with the ligation node (7) is arranged in a groove of the wall of the tubular foil, in the form of a groove (9). Packaging according to Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the groove-shaped depression (9) extends around the entire circumference of the wall of the summed end of the packaging (5). 4. Packaging according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the ligation material has a tensile strength of at least 196.12 N. 5. A method of producing a food container, in particular - sausages and meat products - consisting of sections of tubular film of thermoplastic plastics or of materials similar to - thermoplastic plastics, and of ligation with a knot and hanging loop, of natural material or plastic, at one end summarized according to items 1 to 4, by applying a ligation to the collectively folded and optionally shirred end of the package, characterized in that, instead of ligation, it is softened before, during or after the application of the ligature knot. : 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the ligation site is softened by heating. 7. A method according to claim 5, characterized in that after applying the ligation to soften the ligation site, for example by ultrasound, it is finished. the ligature knot is pressed into the tip of the film. 8. The method of item 7,. characterized in that the lip of the foil is pressed when the ligature knot is pressed in. it reshapes from a square to a rectangular cross-section which has an enlarged perimeter relative to the square cross-section. 9. A method according to claim 5, wherein the ligation site is softened by the action of solvents or swelling agents, for example chloroform. 1 sheet of drawings